Board of Trustees
One Tree Hill College Board of Trustees, August 2009. Back row (from left): Stephen G. Murray (co-opted trustee), Maurits van den Berg BCom LLB (co-opted trustee), Matthew L. McKendry BCom DipIntlStud (parent trustee) and Mark Barlow BA (Hons) CertEd (staff trustee). Middle row (from left): Susan M. West (board secretary) and Ana K. Manu BA (parent trustee). Front row (from left): Hoani E. MacFater BE DipTchg (Maori trustee/co-opted), Garth L. Biggs MBA BCom (chair/ parent trustee), Graeme J. Hunt BA DipBusStud ACIS (deputy chair/parent trustee), Peseta Sam Lotu-Ilga MP MBA MCom LLB (parent trustee) and Iva L. Ropati MA (Hons) DipTchg (principal). Immediate front: Tui Palei (student trustee).
The One Tree Hill College Board of Trustees is responsible for governing the college. Day–to–day management decisions, however, are made by the principal and the senior leadership team. One Tree Hill College has had its own board since 1989. In 1955, its foundation year, it was governed by the Auckland Grammar School Board of Governors and from 1956–89 by the Eastern Secondary Schools' Board of Governors.
The present board is:
Garth Biggs MBA BCom — Chair (parent trustee)
garth@biggs.co.nzGarth is a professional company director and business consultant. Previously he was chief executive of a large New Zealand company, and chairman of the board of an independent school. He chairs the board's personnel and curriculum committee.
Graeme Hunt BA DipBusStud ACIS — Deputy Chair (parent trustee)
graeme@huntcom.co.nzGraeme is a journalist, author and commentator. He attended Penrose High School from 1966 to 1969 and has written ten books along with a jubilee golden history of what is now One Tree Hill College. He chairs students' suspension hearings.
Nick Coughlan BSc DipTchg — Principal
ncoughlan@onetreehillcollege.school.nzNick was appointed principal in March 2010. He was deputy principal from 2004—2010 and before that head of social sciences at the college.
Matt McKendry BCom DipIntlStud (co-opted trustee)
mmckendry@deloitte.co.nzMatt is a partner with Deloitte, a leading business consultancy firm. He has been impressed with the vision and passion that the principal has for educational achievement and seeks to continue his association with the college to achieve its goal of being the college of first choice.
Maurits van den Berg BCom LLB (parent trustee)
maurits@mvdbtax.co.nzMaurits, a graduate of the University of Canterbury, runs his own specialist tax consultancy, dealing with a range of domestic and offshore clients. He joined the board in April 2009 and is a member of the finance and property committee. He is an active triathlete and lives at Muriwai.
Steve Murray (parent trustee)
steve@synergyfilms.co.nzSteve, a member of Royal Oak Intermediate School Board of Trustees and a former member of the Oranga School Board of Trustees, joined the One Tree Hill College board in April 2009. He runs his own video production company, specialising in corporate communications. He is a member of the personnel and curriculum committee.
Owen Barwood (parent trustee)
aradex@xtra.co.nzOwen served 21 years in the Royal Australian Navy before coming to New Zealand. He operates his own textile agency business. As a member and former president of the Rotary Club of Penrose, he has assisted the college through mentoring, the formation of an Interact Club and student exchanges with Monaro High School, Cooma, Australia.
Graham Smith HTECAerospaceTech Beng(Hons) PostGrad CertEd (staff trustee)
GSmith@onetreehillcollege.school.nzGraham, head of the Mathematics Department at the college, has worked tirelessly to make mathematics interesting and relevant to students.
Awhi Hillman (student trustee)
oatsgurl_276@windowslive.comAwhi was elected student trustee in September 2009.